When I began putting the British Columbia Guide to World Music together last July I had a loftier view of how it would look in the end. While I was aiming for the sky, I ended up in a tall tree. The view is wonderful even if I wouldn't call it majestic. Below you will find a handful of CD reviews that I hope will whet your appetite to hear more of world music coming out of British Columbia, Canada. I have also added a list of other Canadian groups from other provinces that have been reviewed on this site and I invite you to visit Cranky Crow World Music where you will find even more reviews and interviews with Canadian acts.

When I first began writing this article, I was unaware of the numerous delays or the CDs that would not find their way to my mailbox. I apologize to the musicians, who had to wait for the posting of this article and with no further ado or excuses, allow me to present part 2.

The Bill Hilly Band - All Day Every Day, Borealis Records, 2002

The Bill Hilly Band, from Victoria deliver Appalachian twang with a Capitol "T" that is mixed with multi-culture flavoring. One moment this quartet lounges on a back porch somewhere in the American Deep South strumming on banjos and singing about moonshine. And the next moment they're dancing a traditional Sicilian tarantella or crooning a Ukrainian lament (Kolomeika) on a mandolin that sounds oddly like a balalaika. This imaginative band traipses from pop jazz to swampy fiddling in a blink of an eye, showing off an uncanny musicianship and a remarkable showmanship. Keep a look out for several guest musicians and a memorable snip of a Edith Piaf classic. The press loves The Bill Hilly Band and one listen to this CD will show you why.
www.thebillhillyband.com

Elyra Campbell - Girl In A Tree, self-produced, 2002

Celtic harpist, composer and vocalist Elyra Campbell presents her own whimsical compositions along side traditional Irish airs, lullabies and Hebridean (mouth music) songs on her self-produced Girl in a Tree. Her lyrics are often playful bordering on Celtic mysticism. And her arrangements that are rendered by Chris Gestrin (percussion, piano, programmed percussion), Jesse Zubot (violin, mandolin), Steve Dawson (slide and acoustic guitars) and Elyra (vocals and harp) recall work by Kate Bush and Sheila Chandra. Listeners are offered a mystical journey in which they might want to repeat often. Girl in a Tree marks a fabulous recording by an imaginative artist with an enchanted worldview.
www.elyracampbell.com

Mei Han & Randy Raine-Reusch - Distant Wind, Za Discs, 2001

The Canadian culture & arts grant system allows traditional musicians to explore musical frontiers. This grant system gives birth to new musical hybrids and gives Canada an edge over the US' music industry's business-as-usual approach. Distant Wind conjures up images of jade and bamboo with its shimmering oriental music played here with Zen awareness. Mei and Randy perform duets on the Chinese zheng with one zheng holding the melody and the other adding rhythmic texture with bassist Laurence Mollerup acting as a musical anchor on Nokoto, Dragon Dogs, Forest Rain and the extremely dark, Black Zheng. The result is often atonal and what we would expect when a zheng virtuoso (Han) and improvisational musician (Raine-Reusch) pair off. The most challenging piece, Black Zheng, proves a difficult listen with its plucked and bowed zheng and mixture of dissonant instrumentation that includes such oddities as a hun undertone singing, didgeridoo and waterphone. This couple resides in Vancouver www.asza.com.

Harry Manx--see review for Road Ragas (2003) on this site.

Currently residing on Salt Spring Island, Harry Manx has spent a great deal of his adult life globe trotting. You might call him a Canadian blues man meets an Indian sage. He marries Mississippi delta blues with music of Rajasthan, India while pulling out a banjo, a mohan veena and a slide guitar during live performances. You will also find these instruments highlighted on Harry's recordings including, Jubilee with Kevin Breit, Road Ragas, Dog My Cat and Wise and Otherwise. Harry is an extraordinary talent and a heart-centered human.

Orchid Ensemble - Heartland, 2000.

Hailing from Vancouver, the Orchid Ensemble featuring Lan Tung on Erhu (a Chinese two string stick fiddle), Mei Han on zheng (Chinese zither) and Jonathan Bernard on percussion, bring ancient instruments to public awareness along with their breathtaking and delicate music. The Orchid Ensemble describe themselves as providing traditional and new compositions for Chinese and western instruments while featuring three dynamic performers from three cultures.

You will find an innovative blend of marimba, vibraphone, cloud gongs, glockenspiel, Chinese opera gongs and bells along with the traditional zheng and erhu. You will also find a variety of musical compositions ranging from the flowing Lantern Riddles, to the frantic frolic Lonely Crows Playing in a Winter Stream, the lively The Gallop and the gypsy-like Shepherd Girl. And who can live without, the Mongolian folk melody Meeting in the Yurt that reveals a rendezvous between two lovers? The Orchid Ensemble's Heartland proves meditative and seductive.

Safa--Alight, Songlines, 2002

Safa (Farsi): means inner purity, sincerity and sincere affection. The Vancouver ensemble Safa comprised of Puerto Rican percussionist Sal Ferreras, Quebecois jazz clarinetist Francois Houle and Iranian vocalist and tar/setar player Amir Koushkani compose music that would bring delight to the master Persian Poet Jalaluddin Rumi's ears. The bulk of Safa's recording, Alight focuses on Persian classical music, often recalling the California based Persian musical group, Axiom of Choice. The tangy sound of the lute marries an emotive, throaty clarinet that is accompanied by a vibrant palette of rhythmic textures and topped off with Koushkani's stunning vocals. Safa with its varying musical influences, passion for Persian music and improvisational jazz creates a multicultural and spiritual space where anything can happen and usually does. Listeners will immerse themselves in Persian poetry that speaks of various kinds of intoxication as well as, dissonant elements found in experimental music. The whimsical Turkish Nihawend Lunga, masterful traditional Persian Chahar Mezrab and the Judeo-Arabic Ninavae promise to intoxicate listeners' ears.

Sara Marreiros Trio--Alma da Terra (Soul of the Land), Syntonic Arts, 2002

With the rising popularity of Portuguese fadistas, it's refreshing to find one living so close to home, Victoria, to be exact. But don't expect a homage to the late Amelia Rodrigues (if one exists, it's discreet). This trio, led by Sara Marreiros (Portuguese-Canadian) marries improvisational jazz with fados (Portuguese blues). You can hear both influences on Alma da Terra, a sunny recording, absent of the standard Portuguese guitar. The trio includes Sara's silky vocals, Robert Mari's innovative piano and Sean Drabitt's moody bass. The trio mostly cover traditional fados that speak of estranged lovers, the sea, the land and of course, fados. And the recording ends with a nostalgic recording of a four-year old Sara singing a poem, recorded in Germany. This collage reveals the seed that would later blossom into a formidable talent. If you're lucky, you can catch Sara live, performing with any number of ensembles while rendering jazz, fado and bossa nova.

Sandy Scofield--Ketwam, Kokum Records, 2003 & Riel's Road, Arpeggio, 2001

Metis vocalist-songwriter, Sandy Scofield successfully leaps from one music genre to the next. In the past, she performed rockabilly and Cajun zydeco music with groups and she struck out on her own with three recordings. Short reviews of Ketwam (2003) and Riel's Road (2001) follow.

I prefer Ketwam with the vocal trio Nitsiwakun featuring drums and chants sung in Cree, Algonquin and English. Even the bluegrass tunes, Indian Orchard and River Song with Daniel Lapp handling fiddle duties, carries a tribal groove. Other highlights include appearances by First Nation singer Winston Wuttunee (White Oak Tree and the round dance, Tapweh). The vocal trio of Sandy, Lisa Sazama and Shakti Hayes offer many delightful harmonies and the three women take turns on lead vocals. All songs both traditional and original were arranged and produced by Sandy Scofield and the vocal trio shares songwriting duties. The end result is gorgeous album created from the cooperative spirit of all those involved with the project.

Riel's Road only offers two songs, Beat the Drum and Sha Sha that carry traditional elements. And the bulk of the recording falls into the jazz, folk and rock categories. The songs mostly speak of social issues that First Nation peoples encounter. The gritty Get High reflects on needing to escape daily hardships. Bloodline falls into blues-jazz territory and reflects on alcoholism and its consequences. The songs on Riel's Road are heavy hitting. Yet, Sandy's talents as an arranger, songwriter and vocalist rise above the occasion while delivering a powerful recording. Sandy resides in Vancouver.

And look for following Canadian musical acts also on this site:

Autorickshaw (Ontario)
Hart Rouge (Quebec)
Norouet (Quebec)
Martina Sorbara (Ontario)
Toronto Tabla Ensemble profile and CD review Contagious Drumming in Toronto (Ontario)
Le Vent du Nord profile and Spoons and Fiddles CD review (Quebec)

Cranky Crow World Music also features numerous Canadian musical acts. Check out reviews and interviews on the site.